Western Michigan University - Brown and Gold Yearbook (Kalamazoo, MI)

Page 13 text:

Behind The Eight Ball IN I ' lIK year 1!)4J, tlic Aiiioricaii inalo icstt ' d scfurcly Ix-hiiid the ciulit liall (if iiiicfrtaiiity. ' riic nation was at war, a wai- wiiicli was to t-aii rorth the last limits ol ' man and machine powci-, so on one iiaiiil. he fflt |iati ' iotism ni ' g ' in.t; ' him to Join the armed forces, to assist in till ' demolition of a way of life which he totally abhorred. On the other hand, his teachers and liis ])arents told him to remain in school, to fmisli his echication. in order that lie might help in the recon- struction of a chaotic, postdiellnm world. lie was nncei ' tain. The part of the women was equally uncertain. Some felt that it was theii- duty to join some of the women ' s service groujjs, to try to help their friends by helping other soldiers or sailors. They asked, • ' What coui ' ses ouglit we to take in order that we. too, ma. ' contrihute to the war (d ' foi ' t. ' They wanted to know just what tlieir i)art was to he in the war. Xowhei-e did they find a clear, concise answer. The American college also lay behind the eight ball. In a total war, every unit within a state must contribute toward the wimiing of the war. Was the college therefore to revamp its entire education- al system, to concentrate all its efforts upon turning out adequate mechanics and i)reparing officers for the armed services. ' Was it to abandon its pain- fully-acfiuired liberal arts curriculum, and concentrate upon the technical side alone. ' And Avas it to speed up its pro- cess of education, so that its male stii- dents might finish before going into the army, and its women become trained for such j()l)s as they might have to take ovei-; ' It was a perijlexing, unceitain problem. 15ut back of it all, there was one deep, abiding faith. Amei ' ica, which had given all of them so much, would not, could not fail because they were willing to give too little. Amidst all the uncertainties of the year that spirit stood out crystal clear. The people asked, Miat can we do to hel]i. ' ' . nd there Avas no uncertainty in their willingness to do whatever was most desirable.

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-. v of llif (lark tciTnr ri- nii tlic skies, (liiiinicil tlic li,i;hts nl ' 1l:cir lilirai-ics, llicir .natluTiiii; ' places, tlicir cities. The il(l lainiliai- ways oL ' pfacc, tlic ycai ' s of inilividualisiii and isolationism. I ' adcd t ' oicvcr. Mankind was a fast-sink- ing- shi]), and America at last was in- volved in the connnon strn,ii-,ii-le. Aiiotliei- Amei ' ican army as (ir,i;ani ' ,ed for finlit- iny- aei ' oss the seas; American ycuiths were diat ' ted, trained, killed. ivalamazoo continued to make pajx-r, grow celeiy, make a living. College students still danced, studied occasion- ally, crammed for examinations. The (iazette daily brought forth headlines announcing the spread of death and destruction. Blackouts on the west coast, sulimarines on the east coast, death in the south seas and the nortliei n Atlantic, all, all were far removed. The mid-west was imi)erturl)al)le, unattacked. But one by one the imperturbal)le, the unattacked places were attacked, and their names loom large in the history of slothfullness. Pearl Harbor, Singapore, Java, Darwin, Burma, India. And ])lanes were thought to be seen over New Ydik, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Our cities were blacked out. The Lights Go Out LHIilTS were gradually going out all over tile world in the year 1941-41 as nation al ' tiM- nation felt the blows of an all too read ' aggressoi ' , and in In all the world, oidy the mid-contin- ents of the Americas remained aglow, theii ' ] eople slee]iing calmly, or in radi- ant factories building the materials that will bring about the Amei ' ican ideal of life. But ever and ever, the lights fade on the margins, leaving only an ever- diminishing luminous belt. Wlii ' n the lights go out in Kala- mazoo . '

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WNWM m ' I ' lic (lays of yoiitli ai-c days when the iiiiiiii is open, wlicii tln ' swift water of hniiiliti ' i ' covcis the (lariv ch ' i tlis of i ' uturc Miclancliolx , and Icaniint; ' is easier. It is tlicu tliat youtli dances, that it engages in those social activities which are to determine so innch the course of its rutui-e life. Kiiiiwledge of societv is at least as iinpniiaiit as knowledge of Ixioks. Tliei-el ' dre, Western students enjoy a wide ()|ip(iitunity for social develojunent. There ai ' e 41 different social organiza- tions upon the canii us, ranging from the departmental cluhs to the fraternities and soi-orities. There is a meeting of many minds. In these club.s, the basic i rinciiili- of democracy, majority rule, prevails. There is discussion, there is a divergence of opinions, there is a reconciliation toward a way of action. The principle of accommodation has been applied. Social learning has occurred. Social Activities MAX is a social animal. It is til rough and witli the coo])eration of his fellows that he is able to Ix ' st develoj) liimsell ' , that he can most enjoy liiniself. Life is a ])i ' ocess of leai ' uing how best to get along with fellow men, how to make Die ])atiiway of life smoolhiT. ' fhere is no time like diith for that. ABOUT THE PICTURE: Joe Hoy, Presiden+ of the Senior Class and Marjorie Johnson posed for ihls picture one spring afternoon amid the curious gaie of little children. To the hundreds of Western students that passed by as the photographer got his angle little or no attention was made of the process In this picture. Truly this is a normal view.